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Grammy Awards 2025: From Lady Gaga giving a shout out to trans people to Chappell Roan calling out record labels and demanding livable wages, check out impactful speeches by winners
Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Alicia Keys
The Grammy Awards 2025 honoured some of the best music talents from across the globe. The event was held on Sunday night at Los Angeles and was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. Some of the winners of the night delivered some thought provoking and impactful speeches. While Lady Gaga spoke trans rights, Chappell Roan lashed out at record labels.
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Lady Gaga gives shout-out to trans people
Actress-singer Lady Gaga took the spotlight after winning the Grammy honour for the best pop duo/group performance and gave a shout out to the “Trans people" during her acceptance speech.
“It’s such an honour to sing for all of you. I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible,” Gaga said, reports variety.com.
“Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you.”
While Gaga did not get explicitly political in her speech, her remarks come amid a wave of executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump targeting trans people. Among them are an order that the federal government will only recognise two unchangeable sexes, and an order that requires transgender women in federal custody to be moved to men’s prisons, reports variety.com.
Gaga has long been an ally to the LGBTQ community.
Shakira dedicates award to immigrant brothers and sisters
Shakira took the opportunity to talk about the political turmoil surrounding President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. She dedicated her award for best Latin pop album for 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' “to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said.
“You are loved. You are worth it and I will always fight with you,” added the Colombian singer. Additionally, Shakira also honoured “all of those women who work really hard everday to provide to their families.”
She concluded by saying, “You are the true She-wolves.”
In the days since Trump was sworn into office, ICE agents have conducted high-profile raids and sent military and charter planes carrying undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin, causing mass panic across the nation.
Shakira also addressed this on the red carpet ahead of the show, telling LA Times en Espanol: “I was also an immigrant who came here to this city with a dream. I know very well what those setbacks are like, but also how strong our people are. Latinos are unstoppable and I won’t tire of fighting with them and for them. Together, we will persevere.”
Chappell Roan hits out at record labels
While accepting her trophy, the 'Good Luck, Babe!' singer used her speech to address an important issue--how record labels treat artists, according to Variety.
"I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially developing artists," she said. The American singer shared that she was signed as a minor but later dropped by her label. Without job experience, she struggled to find work during the pandemic and couldn't afford health insurance.
"It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized," Roan said.
"If my label had prioritized it, I could have been provided care for a company I was giving everything to. Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection," she added.
Roan concluded her winning speech by asking, "Labels, we got you, but do you got us?"
Alicia Keys takes a stand for DEI
Alicia Keys took a stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as she accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 67th Grammy Awards. She used her speech to highlight the struggles of women in music production and to defend the importance of DEI at a time when such programs are under political scrutiny.
Reflecting on her journey, Keys shared how she had to fight for recognition in the industry, especially as a songwriter, composer, and producer. “It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers … but female producers have always powered the industry,” she said, emphasizing the need for greater representation behind the scenes.
Keys didn’t shy away from addressing the growing debate around DEI initiatives, particularly as US President Donald Trump’s administration pushes to roll back such programs. She made an impassioned case for the value of diversity in the music industry and beyond.
(with inputs from agencies)
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